War Makes Monsters of Us All
by Rokudaime56
Summary: OlderNaruto! Naruto needs a teacher. Obito just so happens to want a student. What's the worst that can happen? Watch as this unlikely duo takes the shinobi world by storm as the shadows of war loom on the horizon. Rated M just to be safe!
1. Prologue

**Summary: OlderNaruto! Naruto needs a teacher. Obito just so happens to want a student. Watch as this unlikely duo takes the shinobi world by storm as the shadows of war loom on the horizon. What's the worst that can happen?**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the damn franchise, do you think I'd be on here?**

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"_I admired you, I envied you, and . . . I loved you . . . Namikaze Naruto." _

Blue eyes, normally vibrant with energy, were dark, contemplative even. It was a sight to behold on the blond haired, blue eyed 15 year old boy, dressed in a white tracksuit with three orange stripes on the sleeves, mesh under-armor, a pair of black pants and sandals, strapped to his back was a tanto. A gust of wind gently ruffled the boy's hair as he overlooked the village from on top of the head of his father, the Yondaime Hokage.

His eyes were staring at the village, glazed over as he internally digested his emotions. He did not take notice of the Shinobi Academy, the Administration Building, nor the Grand Archive, or the Shinobi Academy, nor the hundreds if not thousands of busy villagers unawares of the tragedy that had occurred.

Instead, his grief laden blue eyes focused upon the large white building that was Konoha Hospital, where his last remaining teammate laid on death's doorstep.

All because of him.

He clenched his fist tightly at that thought. So tightly, that his nails dug into the palms of his hand deep enough to draw blood.

_Manic laughter echoed in the air and crazed purple eyes stared straight into his soul. Naruto's team lay around him. His sensei, Sarutobi Jin, was dead and his other teammate, Sinamora Akosha, would be with him soon enough. _

_In his arms was his third teammate, Tatsuki Rika, clinging desperately to life. _

"_The great Lord Jashin will be pleased with my sacrifices!" Those soulless purple eyes flickered to Naruto. "Pleased indeed . . ." _

_A wicked grin crossed the man's face and Naruto's world was eclipsed in red._

Naruto violently shook his head, hoping to remove the moments that replayed constantly in his mind. It was his entire fault! Because of his decision . . . Rika was dead and Akosha was grievously injured. His sensei, the Hokage's son, was dead! Never in his wildest dreams did Naruto ever think his sensei would ever lose, let alone die! He was the heir of the Sarutobi Clan and was in a class of his own, easily an A-Rank borderline S-Rank shinobi.

But the monkey did not fall without a fight, that was for sure. It had been a brutal and horrendous battle of life and death that unfortunately led to the death of a great shinobi. Just thinking about it sent chills down Naruto's back.

Akosha had clung to life so arduously and by some stroke of God, he had made it out alive.

Unfortunately, so had Naruto.

Those soulless purple eyes flashed into his vision briefly and Naruto released low growl, his chakra, stronger and more potent than both of his parents put together, began to seep out of him.

He would kill that Jashinist Priest, he would protect his village, and he would make his father proud. Never again would he be powerless before another being, helpless.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

The Meeting Hall inside of the Hokage Tower was eerily silent. Damn near every active Jonin, Special Jonin, and even a few Chunin, was in attendance.

At the forefront stood the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, his face solemn and grim. To his sides stood his former teammates and advisors, Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu.

Clearing his throat, Sarutobi began. "I have called you all here to discuss the tragic occurrence that has befallen us. Yesterday morning whilst completing a C turned B-Rank assignment, the team under my eldest son, Sarutobi Jin, came under assault by an unknown S-Class assailant on the northwestern borders of the country."

Murmurs spread amongst the gathered crowd and after a few moments one of the newer Jonin, Yuhi Kurenai, spoke up with concern evident in her voice. "Were there any casualties?"

The Sandaime turned his dark gaze upon her and then next to her, to his second child Sarutobi Asuma. "The attack resulted in the deaths of Sarutobi Jin and a student of his, Tatsuki Rika."

The news caused multiple gasps, especially amongst the rookie Jonin. Sarutobi Jin was amongst the elite of the village and was a model shinobi, rivaling the likes of Might Gai and Hatake Kakashi, many of the younger shinobi looked up to him. To hear that he had been defeated, within Fire Country itself, was not welcome.

Looking around the room, he saw that his remaining son looked stricken, whilst Kakashi looked grave and Gai lacked his usual mirth.

Uzumaki Kushina registered that knowledge, before a horrifying thought invaded her mind. "Wait, Sandaime-sama, isn't that the team Naruto to was on?! Is he okay?!" she asked desperately. Her son had been gone for weeks and she had received no notice on his return. The fact that such a tragedy had occurred to him must have been traumatizing.

Hiruzen regarded the red haired Uzumaki, speaking proudly. "Namikaze Naruto was able to fend off and escape his assailant with his surviving teammate, Sinamora Akosha." He turned towards the rest of the shinobi in the room. "Unfortunately, Sinamora was injured far to gravely and will never again be a shinobi." He said solemnly.

A moment of silence followed his words as most shinobi either bowed their heads or simply remained silent to honor both fallen and handicapped comrades. It was one of the many risks of being a shinobi that not many liked to consider.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, "As such, we find ourselves with a dilemma. Namikaze Naruto is without a teacher and a team. He is a talented shinobi with extraordinary potential to be greater than even his father and a fine career ahead of him, yet to reach that horizon he must be guided. I am aware that there are no teams now with open positions so until such a time arises, I would ask one of you to accept him as a student."

This elicited even more murmuring and whispering amongst the Jonin present. Most of the Jonin were either busy with high profile missions or Genin teams. Kurenai and Asuma had their eyes set on the soon to be graduating Academy students though Asuma did state he would be giving Naruto a visit, Anko was too busy interrogating missing-nin to 'babysit a blond brat', and Gai had his own team to look after.

Kakashi sighed, closing his one visible eye as he took a step forward. In his usual drawl, the one eyed man addressed the Hokage. "I'll take him as my own student, Hokage-sama."

Before the Sandaime could respond, a lightly chuckle reverberated off the walls of the chambers. From the crowd of shinobi, a figure draped in shadows moved up next to the silver haired man, slouched and hands within his pockets.

"Maa, I didn't think you'd make it. It seems as though no old lady needed help across the street, eh?" Kakashi jested.

The figure chuckled. "Don't be silly Kakashi, there's always an old lady who needs help." He turned towards the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, if you would allow it, allow me to take him as my student. Kakashi here will be essential in the training of Uchiha Sasuke and will be an excellent influence on the Yondaime's daughter, Namikaze Tsubaki."

Hiruzen tilted his head, gazing down at his subordinate. "And would Kakashi not be a good influence on Naruto as well?"

The figure bowed his head. "Of course he would Hokage-sama, however, Naruto has just suffered a horrendous tragedy and is sitting at a crossroads leading to a dark path. He must be handled with a different kind of care and I myself have . . . quite enough experience in the subject to turn him away from that path and mold him into the shinobi you desire. Kakashi would be best suited in the training of Uchiha Sasuke and Namikaze Tsubaki."

Sarutobi sucked his teeth as he observed the shinobi before him. He was calm and collected, with an unshakable confidence in his stance yet with that same mischievous gleam in his eye from his childhood. He had come far in his time as a shinobi with his own share of tragedies. Yes, he would be a fine teacher for the boy.

"If Kakashi has no objections . . ." Sarutobi looked towards the silver haired cyclops, who shrugged playfully, he nodded his head towards the figure.

"Very well, he's in your care now . . . Uchiha Obito."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto solemnly entered his house, his eyes cast down. Judging from the time of day, Tsubaki should be home, but honestly he didn't want to see her. And, lo and behold, there she was inside the kitchen.

He and Tsubaki had never truly connected as siblings. He could remember the first day that he held her when he visited his weakened mother in the hospital. He thought that she was cute and that she would grow up to be a beautiful and strong shinobi like Kushina. However, as the years progressed and she got older, he began to see another side of her that he did not like seeing.

She became arrogant when she learned of the Kyuubi being sealed within her, walking around the village acting as if it owed her for keeping them safe. No one would attack her as it would bring upon his wrath but damn, the idea was appealing sometimes. They both held different views as to how they should continue their father's legacy. Naruto believed that preserving and defending the village and its people without senseless violence was the way to go. Tsubaki believed that in order to defend the village one must gain great personal power so as to strike fear into their enemies, to display the strength of the village for all to see.

What was worst was her favorite warmongering 'uncle', Shimura Danzo, did nothing but encourage her attitude, which only angered the elder Namikaze further. Whenever he would say something about it, she would pout and throw a temper tantrum like a baby and accuse him of trying to hold her back.

Naruto just sighed and decided to get it over with. Walking into the kitchen he murmured a quiet "Hello Tsubaki . . ."

Tsubaki snorted, rolling her cerulean eyes. "So I heard you received a high ranked mission." She grinned. "And I hear that bitch Rika is six feet under."

Naruto tensed at that, his eyes narrowing as his mind traveled back to the traumatic experience he had just dealt with, his turbulent emotions stirring something deep within him, like a storm far out to sea. He couldn't see it and could only feel its effects. Yet it was enough for him to know its potency. Violent. Dangerous. Uncompromising fury often ended very badly for most people. But for shinobi, it was much worse. Tsubaki continued, either ignoring her brother's reaction or not noticing it.

"It was bound to happen, I told you that. She was a weak bitch with barely anymore ability than an academy student. All she ever did was hold you back. Not only that, but she was arrogant, believing herself to be greater than me." She said with a sly smirk on her face.

The storm surged higher in his chest as Naruto glared at his sister, fighting tooth and nail to stay composed. His raging chakra was burning, filled with the potency of all his sadness, anger, and vengefulness was beginning to be too much to bear. Yet still, Tsubaki did not stop.

"And to think, she thought she could master one of your jutsu. Stupid bitch, she deserved-"

That was it; he couldn't take it any longer. He could not listen to his sister be a vindictive bitch to someone who she barely knew. Tsubaki had walked into the lion's den and woke up the sleeping lion without fear of retribution. She would have to be reminded of her place in the established food chain.

"That is _enough_!" Naruto roared, cowing Tsubaki into stunned silence as for just a moment, his tight grip on his chakra faltered and the storm within him surged. "You will not speak ill of Rika in front of me, ever again! Do you understand dear sister? If I so much as hear you insult her posthumously I will beat your ass from here to Iwagakure, drag you back, and then again."

Tsubaki would not be cowed for long and after a moment, composed herself as she snorted. "As if you could beat me, all I would need to do is call upon-" Her voice stopped dead in her throat as she stared into Naruto's brilliant blue eyes that were visibly glowing with barely restrained anger and chakra.

"Do it," he said lowly, walking up to her so that he was whispering into her ear. "Call upon your failsafe, your oh so precious Kyuubi. I swear to you Tsubaki, do not push me. Because Kyuubi or not, sister or not, if you cross my line, I will show you what the true differences between you and I are."

With that said he turned on his heels and walked quickly out of the kitchen in seething anger. The storm in his chest was stronger than ever and was begging desperately to be released. A flash of red caught his eye and he looked up to see his mother approaching him. That wasn't good; he couldn't deal with her with himself all in a mess. So, catching her eyes he gathered the appropriate amount of chakra for one of his original techniques.

A light breeze engulfed him. Then, a moment later with a flare of chakra, he was gone with the wind.

Kushina pursed her lips as she approached where her son once stood, before sighing and walking into her home. He'd be back sure enough, that was a definite.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Namikaze Naruto had been granted two and a half weeks of reprieve and Obito was going to take advantage that to the fullest to prepare. First impressions were incredibly important in the world of shinobi, even more so for sensei and their prospective students. Among them, Naruto would be a special case. A genin team that had lost its sensei was an anomaly for the greatest of the shinobi villages and a team who lost all but one of its members was almost unheard of.

Team Sarutobi had been quite the anomaly of a team. Sarutobi Jin was an accomplished shinobi, well on his way to becoming a living legend in the shinobi world. Like his father, he was quite skilled in all aspects of the shinobi arts, but focused more on taijutsu and ninjutsu. It was only natural for him to have a talented team.

Sinamora Akosha was an incredibly talented taijutsu specialist with a unique repertoire of close-combat ninjutsu techniques that would devastate even the most experienced of opponents, which was surprising as his scores in the academy weren't too incredibly good. He was labeled as a jokester and troublemaker.

The cunning Tatsuki Rika and her startlingly advanced genjutsu was also another surprise. As, apparently, she had been quite anonymous in her class, rarely speaking and doing just the bare minimum to get by. Reports stated that she didn't quite want to be shinobi, but it was the only way for her to move out of poverty.

That left the true enigma of Team Sarutobi: Namikaze Naruto. The eldest heir of the Yondaime Hokage with an incredibly potent pool of chakra, quite possibly due to the fact that Kushina still contained the Kyuubi within her when she pregnant with him. Academy records show that he displayed great potential, yet did not apply himself while reports by his dead sensei would indicate that in his own right, Naruto was a genius. However, it would also be noted that he clung to notions of camaraderie, normality, and family almost desperately. Leaving him highly impressionable to tragic loses.

He would have to approach the situation delicately . . .

"Fuck subtlety!" Obito cried out, grabbing his hair in frustration.

He was sitting on his couch in his apartment, with Kakashi leaning against the wall with that damn orange book of his. The apartment itself wasn't anything special. It was spartan, befitting a shinobi whose life was in constant motion.

Upon hearing his friends' exclamation, Kakashi turned his one eyed gaze towards the Uchiha and smiled.

"Stuck?"

Obito groaned in response. "You have no idea. How the hell do you approach a kid whose sensei and teammate died with the other being injured permanently? Everyone says to tread carefully and delicately but dammit, I don't quite know how to treat this delicately."

Kakashi did not reply with words, only a deep "hmm".

"To hell with delicacy, I can do this my own way and shape him into a shinobi sensei would be proud of." Obito declared.

"Mhm, sure you can." Kakashi said, flipping a page.

Obito's right eye twitched as he turned his eyes to Kakashi. "I can."

"I know."

"No really, I can. I'm a different guy, not nearly the same as that mischievous kid all those years ago. I gots maturity."

"I have maturity, baka." Kakashi corrected.

"Now I know you're mocking me!"

Kakashi chuckled at the accusation, but did not refute it. "When am I not?"

"Dammit Kakashi, I'm not that big green eyesore you call your 'eternal rival'! You can't just get under my skin with clipped responses and condescending eye contact! I'm far more mature than that." Obito growled, ignoring Kakashi's muttering of "His words, not mine".

"Sure I can't."

". . . You're an ass, you know that?"

"Believe me, I know." Kakashi replied, closing his limited edition Icha Icha. He glanced out the corner of his eye towards his friend, sighing. "You're going to have to approach him sooner or late. Kushina is worried about him. He's allowing his grief to consume him. If you don't intervene soon . . ."

"Yeah, yeah I know Kakashi. Go home and read your porn or something." Obito waved him away, grabbing his flak vest as he stood up from his seat.

"I am home." Kakashi laughed, rubbing his neck. "Now that I think about it, with the amount of time you spend over here, you should be paying some of my bills."

Obito blinked, before smiling widely as he opened the door. "Into the breach, eh?" And with those words exchanged, he left.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

To say that Naruto could be found by the memorial stone would be an understatement. He damn near lived at the engraved rock. Ever since the funerals of his sensei and teammate, he had done nothing during his reprieve except visit Akosha and the memorial stone.

It was pathetic and he knew. But he couldn't help but stare at the names etched into massive slab entrenched in the ground, surrounded hundreds if not thousands of names written upon it. How they managed to fit all the names of the shinobi who had fallen was beyond the blond, but he was sure that the Sandaime knew.

The area surrounding the stone was deserted, it usually was. Occasionally a few Chunin would stop by to pay their respects to lost friends and even a Jonin or two would come. Rarely, an Anbu could be seen observing the stone. But Naruto paid them no mind. None whatsoever. It was just him, alone by the stone, surrounded by birds chirping and singing songs of spring. The sound of frogs croaking at the nearby lake echoed through the air, and all manner of wildlife bustled.

He sat, cross-legged in front of the stone, his mind drifting to times of fun and happiness. A time when his sensei stood strong and his teammate smiled that bright happy smile of hers. He was so caught up in these memories, that he hardly registered the presence that appeared above him.

"Hey . . . how about we talk, Uzumaki Naruto?"

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Haha, yep, I'm still here. I've been working on a variety of stories in my computers library, most specifically this one as it showed the most promise. It's been stuck in my head for a while, honestly. What if, by chance, Naruto was forced through a traumatic experience while he was still quite impressionable? But not a regular Naruto, not at all. A Naruto who was calm, collected, confident, and gifted with prodigious skill in the shinobi arts. What if, while still in that impressionable age, he was unable to use said skill and knowledge to save anyone and had to watch his friend and sensei killed in front of him? Well, I thought he'd become quite Obito/Kakashi-like, honestly. But, I can't have that, he has to become his own man. **

**I have no idea how long it'll take me to update this or so on and so forth, but hopefully, I can update it once every two weeks. As for anyone interested to know, I plan on uploading the next chapter to The Magnificent Seven pretty soon and also plan on uploading a Medic!Naruto story and a Sci-Fi/Steampunk/whateveridecide Naruto story. Yep, so please, review and let me have some idea onto your thoughts on this. What you like, dislike(NoFlaming), what you would like to see, what you would take out, etc. **

**Until then, ja ne **


	2. Chapter 1

**Note: I will be placing a Jutsu Translation list at the bottom of each chapter, for convenience sake.**

**Disclaimer: Does it look like I own this series?**

**Also, I would like to thank my excellent beta reader, Scarabeye3000, for his magnificent work in helping me present you this wonderful piece of . . . words haha. Enjoy!**

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto forced the shock off of his face with ease as he turned his bright blue eyes to the treetops, meeting the gaze of his visitor steadily, his calm façade carefully blank as he stared up into the tree.

"Uzumaki?" Naruto questioned, a blond eyebrow arched, "My name is Namikaze Naruto . . ."

A chuckle left the strangers lips as he waved his hand flippantly at the blonde young man's response. "True, that is your given name," the stranger looked at him with wistful and leering eyes as it seemed to calculate the young man's thoughts from within his head, "But you are also the son of Uzumaki Kushina and therefore a scion of the Uzumaki Clan. That name holds great power still, and power I respect just as much as I do the Namikaze."

Naruto's gaze hardened at the man as he stood up, dusting off his pants then rolled his shoulders. The voice sounded oddly familiar yet he couldn't quite recognize the voice or who it may have belonged to. Which was something, as Jin had introduced him and his team to a number of prominent shinobi all of whom Naruto remembered well enough.

This man was an enigma to him. He hated enigmas.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, his own voice flat, "… and What do you want?"

Obito was inwardly impressed with the young man's poise, he was all too familiar with far too many ninja who would lose all sense of decorum and calm when confronted with a mysterious visitor.

Paranoia at its best.

"I'm no one important, just a kite drifting in the sky," Obito said dismissively as he pushed forward from the tree branch he was standing on, landing a good distance away from the suspicious blonde. "But for now you can call me Tobi!"(AN)

Naruto regarded him with complete scrutiny. He was most definitely a shinobi, and a real good one, seeing as how he made no sound whatsoever with his landing making the blonde all the more cautious. He wore the standard shinobi gear for a Jonin, he was wearing a green flak jacket, fingerless metal-plated gloves, shinobi sandals, and a black shirt and matching pants.

The only thing missing was the most important piece of shinobi identification, the forehead protector.

The most defining thing about the man however, was his face. The right side of his face appeared to be heavily scarred in a manner similar to deep aged wrinkles and parts of his face on that side were paler in color in comparison to his usual skin tone.

It was almost as if someone or something old fused or grafted with his body and they became as one, or they were interrupted in the process of the jutsu that he ended up like that, a half-shriveled weevil skinned human. He hated to think the latter could be true.

Obito's lips curved a little upwards as he shifted his legs. The intelligence reports stated that Naruto, unlike his sister, was not particularly quick to action and that he would most likely need a bit of motivation. Good thing he was prepared for just that.

"You know, I happened to run across the most interesting person at the hospital . . ."Obito said casually, catching the blonde's attention and causing his eyes to narrow, "… he's actually quite polite, which is pretty rare for teenagers as I understand. I asked if he'd like to go on a walk with me but he was unfortunately impaired . . . fortunately he could still join us."

A moment later the space in front of Obito began to distort in a whirl and Naruto clearly saw strange ripple-like patterns running through the air, wincing lightly at the terrible shriek that followed. Then, as if dragged directly from the hospital, he saw Sinamora Akosha plop helplessly down in between them still dressed in his bandages and hospital clothing.

Akosha looked from Obito and then to Naruto, a smile splitting his pained expression of a face, "Heya Naruto, fancy meeting you here . . . Tobi did say we were going out to see the village. Albeit, I had no idea where specifically . . . " he ended up trailing off in a muttering whisper, obviously in a pain induced euphoria.

Obito smiled down at Akosha, "I'm glad you agreed to come with me, Sinamora-san. Now, I'll be putting you back in your special room now, if you don't have any problems with that."

"No, it's certainly an interesting change of scenery. The inside of the room is definitely different from anything I've ever seen. Besides, lying in that hospital was becoming uncomfortable." Akosha confirmed with a shake of his head.

Naruto felt his body tense up and the storm of chakra return to the forefront of his chest. His mind reached back to the teachings of his late sensei and with such the blonde closed his eyes and released a calming breath as he assessed his situation.

Before him stood an unknown man, designated for now by the alias of "Tobi", of unknown capabilities who purposefully sought the Namikaze heir out for an unknown reason and was able to perform a uniquely powerful space-time technique that seemed to transport any person sucked by the vortex to a different dimension and then drag it in and out at will.

Naruto released a low growl, _"Fucking unknowns!"_

Unknown to Naruto however, he impressed Obito even more. The Uchiha couldn't help but whistle to himself as a grin naturally placed itself on his face.

"That's far more self-control then I had when I was his age." Obito muttered to himself.

Not a moment later did the blonde genin before him open his eyes, a determined glint within them. Obito chuckled as he unconsciously took a step back. That was the same look that his own sensei, the Yondaime, would give to those who he declared his enemies. His eyes would turn from their warm and friendly blue, to a chilling arctic blue filled with cunning and calculation.

Even now it still scared the shit out him.

"Now, now let's not do anything hasty. I just want to talk..." The Uchiha said in what he hoped was a peaceful tone in an attempt to calm the boy down, yet he knew better than anyone that the boy was angry now.

Let it be said that Obito had actually taken the time to read the files and reports on the young shinobi standing before him, most specifically the files on his combat capabilities. However, he was loath to admit, especially to that damned cyclops Kakashi, that he hadn't been too particularly focused on it.

Reading was never a particular strong point of his anyway.

And fuck, he was surprised when the blond haired boy hurled a kunai sheathed in wind chakra at him, poised to pierce him between the eyes and howling like a hurricane. Vaguely, Obito remembered reading something along the lines of "Point of Note: Uzumaki holds a potent affinity in _Fūton_ (Wind Release), _Suiton_ (Water Release), and _Raiton_ (Lightning Release) and is proficient in the use of all three."

However, while the kunai was quick through the air, it was nothing compared to the Jounin's speed, which allowed him to tilt his head a bit easily evading the kunai sinking into his skull like a hot knife through butter.

He was not prepared however, for the damn near soundless and seal-less _Shunshin_ (Body Flicker Technique) to carry the blonde from his position several yards away to right inside the Uchiha's inner circle.

Black eyes met cold blue as the two shinobi appraised each other.

"_Impressive . . . he made a soundless Shunshin with no handseals to carry him forward and with enough precision to skillfully get beneath my guard,"_ Tobi thought in alarm as his eyes widened at the sound of a howling weapon coated with wind chakra reached his ears, effortlessly leaning back to let Naruto's tanto to pass him by mere millimeters.

"You're far too impulsive for that to hit," Tobi chastised with a sagely grin as he grabbed the wrist holding the tanto and blocking the jab that came from the blonde shinobi's free hand.

His elated grin turned into a sudden scowl as he saw the maniacal grin on Naruto's face that escaped his scrutiny awhile ago. A split second later he felt chakra rupturing in front of him and a thick plume of smoke erupted where the young Gehnin was, he could only exclaim in frustration, "A _freaking kage bunshin_!"

In the next moment, Obito stared in shock as the smoke continued to approached and engulf him, then by a deafening explosion as the 'fake' Naruto exploded in a barrage of damaging chakra easily resulting in chunks of earth being catapulted into the air pummeling the spot where Obito vanished in the smoke cloud. The small field they were _'playing'_ on burned with the charred remains of the grand explosion arranged by the Uzumaki heir.

From his perch within the trees, Naruto grinned down at the flames, "_Bunshin Daibakuha_ , success." He didn't quite know what to expect from Tobi, but he knew now without a shadow of a doubt that he was faster than him, albeit Naruto liked to believe he was pretty fast for his young age.

Of course, we add to that the space-time technique and the countless other unknown factors of his abilities, Naruto was basically fighting his opponent blind, and he has yet to use a technique against him. This uncharacteristically brought forth a small pang of fear, but it was when the storm in his chest surged forward stronger than any other time did Naruto squash that fear with a growl. He had figured out that this was a test earlier on in the exchange; mainly due to the fact that he was told he would be appointed a new sensei by the end of his reprieve and that this man was the only one to approach him within that time. Besides, Naruto was expecting it, they were all shinobi, how best to get to know your comrade outside of fighting them right?

Of course one could argue they could just talk it out peacefully, but as his former sensei would elegantly say, "Fuck that, we're not bureaucrats! Stop talking and start killing!"

However, the man called Tobi(whose real name he still did not know) had the audacity to approach him on the last days of his grieving and annoyingly brought forth the only living proof of his failure as a teammate and friend before him, it was basically adding insult to injury. When he was first approached by the mysterious man, he was agitated, excited, and sad at the prospect of receiving a new teacher, pretty much he felt like a girl to feel a mish-mash of emotions that would have been comical if they had not exchanged insult and explosions.

Now, Naruto could honestly say he was pissed off.

That anger quickly turned to disbelief, as a silhouette appeared vaguely in the flames and from them, walked an unscathed Tobi.

The scarred older man looked up at him and Naruto clenched his teeth as a single crimson eye stared up at him, "Is that the . . . Sharingan?" Naruto muttered, his tone wary and cautious, _'Wait a minute, if he has the Sharingan, then they could only be two reasons for that… one he is an Uchiha! He's my replacement teacher is my best guess… or two; he's an enemy shinobi who took down an Uchiha and stole an eye. One way to find out though...'_

Immediately in the back of his mind, Naruto could hear his father's voice saying_, "Be alert and prepare for the unexpected. Don't ever underestimate your opponent, for they shall not be afraid to exploit it."_

The blond took solace in those words as once more he released a calming breath.

Beneath the blonde genin, Obito rolled his shoulders as he took in his surroundings, "That was some _Bunshin Daibakuha_," he said with admiration as the characteristically scarlet flames licked harmlessly at his heels.

Nonchalantly brushing off his shoulders as he stretched, the 'unconfirmed' Uchiha callously asked, "Did that tactic have any merit against the Blood Priest Hidan?"

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

The Uchiha wasn't prepared for the dense, explosive burst of chakra from the blonde genin, resulting in a massive pressure, causing the tree he was standing on to quake and rumble. Branches swayed and leaves danced abundantly on their way to the ground, as the ground they were standing on shook and little bits of stone rose up, crumbling into dust particles.

"Ooh, what a scary boy!" Obito exclaimed as a massive eager grin split his face, "Are you mad at me?" he asked in feigned innocence.

Abruptly the pressure disappeared and Obito's instincts screamed at him to move. The Uchiha moved faster than the boy could see, crossing his forearms above his head to block a dropping heel that would have caved his skull in. "You're quite eager you know? Haven't you done that technique already?" Obito smiled as blue eyes met his mismatched crimson and black, "If that's the case then you'll have to come at me with the intent to kill, no more reservations, ok kid?"

Who knew, maybe he'd actually be pushed.

With incredible force, Tobi pushed his arms upwards and forced the blonde back and before the young Genin could even blink the _'faux Uchiha'_ was quickly towering over him, the enemy's hand tightened to a fist already reared back to give him a sharp and heavy blow.

Naruto was blinded as he felt and saw a left and right punch connecting with his jaw and two hands grabbing his hair pulling him towards his enemy and feeling the oxygen on his lungs being purged with a hard knee to the gut, his enemy was so incredibly fast that he was pummeled with taijutsu moves so fast and seamlessly executed that he could not deliver a quick answer to his adversary. The blonde's vision cleared for a second and saw a two handed haymaker blow coming down on his head, as Naruto began to spun to the right, Tobi managed to spin in mid-swing of his arms and used the momentum to give him the force he needed to move his body to the side and deliver a mid-air spinning kick sending Naruto tumbling a few feet away from him.

It was those few precious seconds of reprieve that Naruto used to regroup himself as he settled into a fighting stance, tanto held defensively in front of him, although shell-shocked and reeling from the hard blows.

As he gathered his senses, Tobi spun around and tossed a dozen shuriken at the Genin. Before Naruto could respond in kind with his own technique, the Uchiha was weaving through handseals and with an evil grin smiled at the Uzumaki heir, "_Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

Almost instantaneously the dozen shuriken multiplied, then tripled, then finally quadrupled in appearance and number as they replicated with Tobi's will. Ocean blue eyes widened as Naruto quickly performed a _Kawarimi no Jutsu_, appearing in a nearby tree with a look of pure sadness as he watched the great piece of log he substituted torn to shreds by the barrage of relentless shurikens.

"All hail the LOG!" Naruto muttered as a shadow descended upon him.

The blonde genin barely avoided having his skull fractured by Tobi's leg before retaliating almost immediately, striking forward with the intention of impaling the older man through the chest with his tanto.

Tobi deftly grabbed his arm in an iron grip, stopping the deadly tool from making him a pincushion. It was when Naruto struck out with the heel of his hand against Tobi's chin that the solid grip loosened somewhat.

Fortunately for Naruto, the blow knocked the Uchiha off balance, enabling the blonde to swing himself around so that he clutched the man's arm, twisting his body in the direction the older man was tilting freeing him and making his enemy more unbalanced. And by God's miracle it worked perfectly, the iron grip Tobi had on his arm relaxed and the man fell towards the ground in an almost comical heap.

Naruto used the time to catch his breath but was cut short by a taunting "Tut-tut" and a chillingly cold chain wrapping itself around his neck to drag the blonde from his perch.

Panicking for a moment, Naruto fumbled for his tanto, before channeling more wind chakra into the blade and cutting backwards into the chain, severing it and freeing himself again. He fell unceremoniously to the ground on his back in a disorganized heap, hissing in pain and disoriented. He looked up to see an entirely too excited Tobi weaving through handseals again.

"_Let's see how he handles an exchange of ninjutsu."_ Tobi thought with a manic grin as he finished his handseals.

"_**KATON**_-" The blonde stumbled to his feet to the sound of the technique, katon is fire he thought furiously as his blue eyes widened as a massive ball of intense heat soared through the air with the intent of rendering him to ash, "-_**Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)**_

The fireball raged forward as if a cannon itself spewed it out with its speed, the teen's hands flew through hand seals at an extraordinary pace, before stomping his foot on the ground and almost howling out, "_Suiton: Suijinheki!_" (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)

From the lake behind him, the violent sound of rushing water could be heard as a wave of water surged forward around him to guard against the blistering flames of the powerful fire technique. However, it was sloppy as Naruto only had a basic understanding of the element, only coming so far during his training with it, and with his sensei dead, had no proper guidance to apply it effectively.

Fortunately it was enough to protect him from Tobi's flames, resulting in a haze of steam that effectively cut off both shinobi's sight. Once more, the older man found himself nodding in appreciation of Naruto's unconventional, but effective tactic.

"Instead of avoiding the attack, he used fires natural weakness against water to both shield him and obscure the battlefield allowing him some time to recover," he chuckled lightly as the steam and smoke lingered for awhile, "I can't believe he's a Genin, he's one hell of a Genin that's for sure."

Tobi almost smiled as the '_magatama'_ on his Sharingan eye spun noticeably, "Time to get a bit serious… let's see you deal with this kid."

Naruto released a shaky breath as he felt his chakra drain from him. The Water Encampment Wall that he used was still incomplete and although his chakra control was far greater than that of his sister, it was a difficult technique to perform and the chakra requirement was equally great!

Thankfully, like his mother, he had a sizeable amount of chakra to compensate this loss.

Yet, despite all his efforts, he had yet to land any decisive blows on Tobi. It was so damn frustrating! And when he thought about it, the situation was disturbingly similar to his encounter with Hidan. It angered and scared him because, honestly speaking; he simply could not face a monster of an enemy like that again . . . not at the moment. However, once he's acquired adequate strength to go head to head against such an S-Rank monster, he would seek him out and fight to the death. That's for sure.

Naruto flipped through hand seals and whispered the name of one of the two original techniques he had been developing with his former sensei. "_Fūton-" _a small breeze erupted from Naruto's body and circled around him, before dispersing in the air, "_Sasayaku Kaze"_

It was an incomplete sensory technique using air as a sensory device to pick out any enemy that was in his vicinity, incredibly similar to Tobirama-sama's sensory technique using the ground, Naruto began to develop this technique to make up for his teams obvious lack in that one particular ability. It was still incomplete and felt like his chakra was a chocolate chip cookie in front of the cookie monster, but for what he was using it for; he prayed it would work out.

He stood on guard, the man called Tobi still out of reach of his technique, he debated with himself and considering moving since his position has been compromised to the enemy, but he paid a price for deliberating too much. His technique, though effective, was still incomplete, he suddenly felt a presence directly six feet away from him and closing fast. With a mighty grunt he flipped like a dime, his tanto already drawn and aimed accurately to any vital part nearest on his incoming attacker, but same as before he felt two lightning quick strikes hit his lower abdomen and left chest knocking the air out of his lungs and sending him backwards. He accidentally bit his lower lip due to the contact sending mixed blood and spittle behind him, before he could get his bearings though, he could see Tobi in mid-air spinning in slow motion on his own seemingly personal axixs, one of his feet already outstretched and was a second away from his jaw.

With a loud crack on his almost dislocated jaw, Naruto tumbled and rolled away, he was almost numb to the pain, and he felt the cool air on his cheeks as the smokescreen of steam was lost from him and he spluttered as he belly-flopped into the lake behind him.

Tobi walked calmly on the lake's surface, chakra carefully molded on his feet, a noticeable frown on his face. "Was that it Namikaze Naruto?! Is this the prodigious son of Namikaze Minato? This is pathetic!" the older man sat on his feet in front of the blonde boy and said in a soft mocking tone, "Tell me then, is this how you fought on the day of Sarutobi Seijin's death? If so, it's no surprise that he suffered such a horrible fate."

It was a cruel thing to say those words to him as he lay there spluttering and wet from the fall, but what the hell.

Cold blue eyes snapped up to glare into crimson and Tobi knew without a doubt he had succeeded in striking a nerve. Shakily the blond stood, soaking wet, brandishing his short blade. Tobi beckoned him to come, a kunai appearing in each hand.

The two figures blurred and met with an exchange of steel, sparks flew as tanto and kunai met in mid-air, their wielders giving no quarter to each other. Naruto felt himself holding up under the relentless assault that Tobi was giving him, it was one of the most brutal exchange in taijutsu and bukijutsu (weapons technique) Naruto had ever found himself in, even when he had faced Hidan, comparably the latter seemed no match for this new adversary. Tobi seemed even faster than his previous sensei, possessed monstrous strength, and was almost impossibly agile.

In fact, it seemed being redundant to his thoughts, but the blond had yet to land a single blow. That was the most frustrating thing of all because, although he was not prone to boast, he would proudly state that his taijutsu was perhaps the best in his year and yet it wasn't helping one bit against his opponent. Every strike he sent was intercepted and diverted, almost as if Tobi knew exactly what he would do, thus confirming Naruto's two guesses that "Tobi" has the _Sharingan Eye_, but he was still unable to confirm how he acquired it though, which makes this situation half-dangerous and half-relieving.

Goddammit, he's being a girl again!

The blonde was cut off from his thoughts rather abruptly as Tobi, insanely twisted his shriveled left hand and caught his hand wielding the tanto and easily wrenched it away shocking him. The distraction worked when he felt and saw the incoming right hand connect to his jaw. It felt like a haymaker that shook the very foundations of his teeth.

Oh goodness, still a Genin and needing dentures already?

The blow was infused with chakra, hence the strength of the blow that sent him to the soft, soiled banks of the lake. Naruto's head rolled from his position on the ground as he released short, ragged breaths and vaguely noticed that Tobi walked upon the ground beside him from the lake, miraculously he passed him without further action.

Their exchange was complete.

"Impressive, Namikaze Naruto," Tobi applauded, his voice was soft yet the young man could clearly hear the older man, "I am very impressed, however, I also feel disappointed at the same time." He felt good being praised by the enemy, only to noticeably deflate at his latter words.

Silence permeated the air between the two shinobi and after a few moments, Tobi took pity on the blonde's unasked question.

"You are unknowingly holding yourself back Naruto, you are steadily doubting your skills and your ability to perform in the line of duty," Tobi emphasized his words with a few choice hand movements, but never taking his eyes off the boy, "Thus, you are unconsciously allowing your talents and hard earned skills to suffer. You wallow in the belief that your lack of skill, of strength, is what led to the end of your disastrous mission with your current PWD teammate."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he physically recoiled at the words as if struck, but Tobi was not finished, no he technically earned this. To rub salt to injury.

"You've allowed your sense of grief and the overwhelming sorrow of losing those precious to dull your mind, to let you lose your focus, for if you were truly thinking straight, you would have never allowed your self-esteem to fall so low," Tobi walked back towards the lake and opened his arms as if a bird wanting to fly, he returned his gaze to Naruto and challenged his defeated look with his determined one, "Naruto! Questioning your abilities is healthy for a shinobi, for it allows you an objective analysis of what you can do and what you can also do to improve it, but allowing doubt and grief to take root in your heart and mind WILL overwhelm all logical thinking, and believe me that is what gets shinobi like you and me killed… quickly."

Even in his beaten down and defeated state Naruto couldn't help but reflect over the older man's words and in truth; he could see exactly what was being explained. The sound of Tobi's voice knocked him out of his self-imposed reverie.

"The deaths of your sensei, Sarutobi Seijin, and of your teammate, Tatsuki Rika, were not your fault-" Tobi began, before Naruto interrupted him with a wail of "No!"

The older man stopped abruptly, startled by Naruto's emotional outburst, he cautiously watched as the blonde genin's shoulders began to shake. A look of realization crossed the Uchiha's face as he realized that Naruto's closely wound emotional baggage was finally beginning to unfold. Perhaps with some more prodding, he'd open up.

"No, you don't understand at all! It's all because of me that they're dead!" Fresh tears mixed with the grime and water from the lake began to drip from the blonde's face, "I was the mission leader! I was the one who spotted Hi- Hid- … that _MAN_! And it was I who encouraged Seijin-sensei to confront him! And then, when they needed me most, I- I just- I- I failed them! I failed them because I wasn't strong enough."

The genin breathed a shuddering breath, tears streaming down his face in almost uncontrolled sobs, "But what could I have done?! That man was a monster! He wouldn't die! No matter what I did, no matter what we did, he simply would not die! How do you fight someone like that huh?! How?! Fucking immortal!"

By then Naruto had descended into silent sobs, his shoulders shaking violently and Tobi's gaze took on that of an understanding man, his raised hands finally resting on his sides as he walked up the sobbing genin and placed a consoling hand on his former adversary's shoulder.

"And then Rika- Rika- she just said-" the blond simply could not finish as once more he began to shed uncontrollable tears, "DAMN IT ALL! HE TORE HER APART GODDAMM IT!"

"Naruto . . . Naruto . . ." Tobi lightly chided as he kneeled softly in front of the sobbing boy, his soft voice prodded him slowly, "Weakness is not a crime. It's quite natural actually, everyone strong people in the world, even your father, started off as a weak genin. And yet for every shinobi, there comes a time, a crossroads in which they must steel their resolve and _will_ themselves to become stronger. Power is nothing without will, for then there is no purpose! A will to protect, a will to conquer, a will for power!"

Not raising his head, the older man placed a wrinkled hand on the boy's head and gently stroked it, "When I was your age, I fought in the Third Great Shinobi World War. It was a time that gave birth to monsters, as many powerful shinobi made the rise to fame and prominence. And at the same time, many shinobi, younger than your sister perished, while the lucky, stronger ones lingered to collect dust."

"There were many close ones for me," Tobi placed a hand to his scarred face as he grimaced, as if some horrifying memory had returned to haunt him, "And I also watched, helplessly, as that which I cared the most for in the world was taken from me in a blink of an eye, but I resolved myself to become stronger, strong enough so that such a thing would never happen again. Together with _Hatake Kakashi_," the name made Naruto's head raise a bit, "Our fame, my fame, grew and together we watched your father become feared throughout the Five Great Shinobi Nations and a legend around the world."

Tobi stood proudly as he spoke, his voice wistful as he continued, "I can never tell you what to do or what you should do, for that is not my place young one. But I can assure you, Sarutobi Seijin would not have wanted his most gifted student to waste away his gifts and talents wallowing in grief and self imposed torment. He understood, as I also hope you do, that shinobi are the heralds of death. Either we deliver it or we fall to it, that's simply how the bell tolls. I'm positive that Tatsuki Rika would not confess her love for a weak, naïve, and idiotic blond boy who would not take it upon himself to continue living, for both him and her."

As Tobi spoke, he noticed Naruto's grief filled look to be slowly replaced with a pensive one. _'Yes, yes just a little more,'_ The Uchiha urged inwardly, knowing that he had the blonde's full attention. Now all that was left was the finale.

"There's nothing to gain by pushing those who're still alive and care about you away, all because you're feeling a little pathetic. It's time to grow the fuck up boy! You are Namikaze Naruto, son of the _Kiiroi Senkou_ _(Yellow Flash),_ and a shinobi that will change the world!" Tobi showed him his clenched fist and his passion filled eyes, "But only if you WILL it! You want power, power enough to prevent those you care about from dying in your arms ever again? You want power to be feared, to dispense justice and equality?"

A newfound heat began to seep through Naruto's chest as he nodded in affirmation, his former adversary's words were… inspiring.

"Do you want greatness? Then WILL it! Strive for it and put forth blood, sweat, and tears! The road will not be simple or easy, but that doesn't matter! For if you will it, you shall succeed either way. Namikaze Minato did not simply become powerful, he WILLED himself to be! To protect his wife, friends, and his whole village! The _Densetsu no Sannin_ (Legendary Three Ninja) did not simply gain power, they WILLED it! The likes of Hashirama Senju, Hashirama Tobirama, Uchiha Madara, and Sarutobi Hizuren did not become Gods among men simply for the hell of it. It was their own WILL! The POWER OF THEIR WILL! That is where true strength comes from. But tell me, Namikaze Naruto, do you WILL it!?"

Tobi roared into Naruto's face, inwardly giddy at what he already knew what the blonde's response to be.

It took the blonde a few moments, before finding the confidence and the strength to return from the dark abyss of grief, anger, and sorrow that he had locked himself within. With determined eyes, he met Tobi's gaze and said with conviction, "I shall WILL it! I swear I'll become a powerful shinobi! More powerful than any this village has ever seen! I'll bring justice to _Hidan_ and make my father proud! I'll make Seijin -sensei proud and I'll-" he finished, mumbling the last part to himself, "-make Rika proud."

Tobi grinned and clapped the blonde genin on the back, he pulled him up out of the cold wet bank of the lake beaming down at him, and deftly he removed his own green flak jacket and handed it to Naruto, "Oh boy! What conviction! Heh! If only Minato-sensei could see you now- oh I forgot-"

"What the hell- " Naruto did a double take as he heard that and quite shocked as Tobi handed him the flak jacket, looking at the man standing over him with a calculating gaze. "-did you just say?"

Tobi stepped back and gave an exaggerated bow, his grin ever present on his face, "May I introduce myself- the great, uber-powerful, oozing with sex appeal, Uchiha Obito!" he did a sexy pose and blew him a flying kiss, which the boy promptly swatted away, "-nicknamed _'Tobi'_ by the scarecrow Cyclops, and another uber-pervert, Hatake Kakashi,"

His grin turned vicious as somehow, spotlights focused on him from all directions, fireworks exploding all around him, confetti fired and rained comically down over the two shinobi.

'_Who the hell is this guy supposed to be?' _Naruto was both overwhelmed and dumbstruck. _'He practically tore me a new one, and now… blowing me kisses?! Shit's messed up!'_

"I am your new Sensei! Well, not really sensei, because technically you've just been promoted to Chuunin and I've taken you on as my Apprentice." Obito blabbered.

Naruto blinked as suddenly memories surfaced to the front of his mind, remembering why the older shinobi's voice sounded familiar, "You were part of my father's team; with Kakashi-sensei… I haven't seen you since I entered the academy!" Obito simply shrugged at him as he replied as a matter of factly, removing his forehead protector and wrapping it around his head, then with a subtle spike of chakra as Obito deactivated his sharingan, "I wasn't needed anyways. Besides, I've been… well, pretty busy for the past few years."

The blonde shook his head in exasperation, feeling oddly comfortable and at ease. As if a great weight had been taken off his chest, he seemed . . . he felt . . . Liberated is a really good word for him now!

However, a deep revolving rumble echoed clear and loud through the air as Naruto's stomach suddenly growled.

Sheepishly the blonde scratched the back of his head as he juggled the flak jacket on his left hand and returned his tanto on his belt sheath, "You know, seeing as how you beat the shit out of me, how about you repay me in ramen, eh?"

"Oh really? Well, you attacked me first remember?" Obito laughed uproariously at the sight of the genin looking defeated, but still swatted him upside the head just for the hell of it. "If anything should happen… since I practically floored you, you should treat me to _dango _eh? I like the hanami one- maybe the roasted- oh I can't wait!"

"Fuck dango!" Naruto exclaimed as he saw his new Master practically dreaming and drooling, "If we're getting food, we're getting ramen!"

"Fuck dango? Meh! Fuck RAMEN!" Obito scoffed in mock irritation, secretly enjoying riling his student "Dango is the gift of the Gods you brainless idiot, that's why it's so round, moist and- and ohh, so good."

"Round and moist? Hanami or roasted? Dango is old people's food!"

From the village, many jonin actually sneezed.

"Old people's food? I'll tell you what is old people's food, ramen is for old people, it's oily and sometimes stinky at least Dango is neither soggy nor freakishly yellow or wax colored… I mean what the hell is with that color?"

Naruto's left eye noticeably twitched, "Was that a remark about my hair?"

"No, it was about the shitty excuse for food you call ramen. Although now that you mention it, your blonde hair does make you look like a girl. Albeit, you're the shortest and manliest girl I've ever seen, smallest chest too," Obito laughed rambunctiously, "A real genuine _pettanko _(flat-chested) huh? Pfft! Ha ha!

The younger nin released a shaky breath as he glared at his Master, "I am NOT short nor do I have a small chest, I simply grow at a gradual rate over time rather than in spurts. Like a normal human being . . . unlike you monsters." He growled losing his patience again.

"Aww… is widdle Naruto-tan senswitive about being a mwidget in denial?" Obito teased, poking the blonde on his whiskered cheeks, only for his hands to be smacked away, "Aww… so cute!"

"I am not cute and I am _not fucking short_!"

Obito laughed again, wrapping his arm around a frowning Naruto as he began to direct him away towards Konoha, "You know what squirt, I have the feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Now, do you have enough money to pay for all my dango? Oh, I forgot… you botched your latest mission… you're bankrupted man."

"Oh shut the fuck up Obito-teme."

"Wow, such a blatant disrespect of your elders," he gave the genin a noogie and grinned at his annoyed face, "Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

Naruto glared up at the man, before looking down at the flak jacket he had forgotten he was holding, "Say, Obito-teme, since I'm a Chuunin now, do I really have to wear this disgusting thing that you wore and just decided to give me?"

All he received in response was a Cheshire grin on Obito's face, so with a crumpled face Naruto walked forward and exposed his back to his sensei. With an evil grin the sensei suddenly spun quickly and vanished, the blonde ninja felt a draft behind him, but before he could turn around, a sharp and immeasurable pain on his ass erased all logical reasoning from his mind and blood almost shot out of his eyes.

He shot up off into the air as the older shinobi was left with his index and middle finger joined up into the air, curiously into the path that the blonde nin took as he screamed,

"CURSE YOU! OBITO-TEME BAKARYOU!"

Obito just smiled and sighed, "Ah, _Sennen Goroshi _(One Thousand Years of Death)!You've never led me astray!"

xXxXxXHokage Tower – few hours later xXxXxXx

"Mission accomplished, Hokage-sama." Obito said, bowing before the Sandaime Hokage.

Puffing upon his pipe, the old man stroked his white beard and nodded, "Well done Obito, I expect him to be up and prepared for missions in another week and a half… I suppose that that should be enough time for you to get a more balanced idea of his abilities and how you two should work together in the long run."

The Uchiha nodded his head in acceptance of the appointed amount of time as Sarutobi shook his head and laughed heartily, "You did well, Obito in handling Minato's son… your sensei would be proud."

"I can only hope Hokage-sama," Obito shook his head as a longing smile crossed his face as he stared into the blue sky from the Hokage's window, "I can only dearly hope."

xXxXxX ROOT Headquarters xXxXxXx

In a dark and long forgotten area of Konoha, where light filtered down from one great circular roof and four gigantic post dug deeper than the eye can see into the abyss below attest to the name and objective of the group of men gathered there. The ROOTs headquarters, known only to the elite of Konoha's military hierarchy. Even fewer knew more of the sinister nature of the group and its own motivation for doing so. A group so secretive that it branched itself off from even the ANBU. From the shadows a lone man walked slowly assisted by a single gnarled wooden cane, he reached the center of the four intersecting paths of the elevated walkway as an ANBU member appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

"So the Namikaze boy has recovered, hmm?" the old man questioned, a cross scar prominently displayed on his lower chin and bandages covering the most of his body. He had the look of an old, ailing man, way past the years of his fighting prime and the best of his days, but as a shinobi, looks could be well deceiving.

The single ANBU kneeled in front of him, face covered in a pure white fox mask answered, "Yes, my lord… Uchiha Obito has successfully managed to instill the WILL to fight within the boy once more," the elite nin offered nothing of remembrance, he wore a coat that covered his whole body and only his mask betrayed his façade.

"I see," the old man replied evenly, his lone eye narrowing fixing his gaze on the ANBU member "It seems as if that boy is far cleverer than I ever gave him credit for… It seems as if the Uchiha always have a way with that."

"Danzo-sama?" the face betrayed no emotions, but his inquisitive tone told otherwise.

"It matters not," Shimura Danzo's eyes burned with an unquenchable flame, his purpose shimmering in his eyes, "Namikaze Naruto shall serve the great tree of Konoha, as will his sister… in due time."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Authors Note:**** Wow, this chapter took far longer than expected. Too long for my taste, if you understand what I mean. But I figured you guys would want some quality fiction and I would hate to disappoint. I hope I didn't disappoint. I've never been good with deep dialogue and the action scenes had me pulling my hair out in frustration. Anyways, Naruto's now beginning to move away from the guilt and grief of losing his team and so on and so forth, with Obito's help. You can expect to see life as the apprentice to Uchiha Obito next chapter, as Naruto begins to get acquainted and adjusted to dealing with Obito and his mannerisms. You'll also see a few more character introductions, more explanations and so on and so forth. Oh and before I forget, Tobi can be translated as the i form of "to fly" (****飛ぶ****, tobu), or as "kite" (****鳶****).**

**Remember, read and review!**

**Also, I would like to thank my four reviewers for giving me the incentive of completing this chapter several days faster than expected. I truly appreciate it. **

**Jutsu List:**

_**KageBunshin no Jutsu**_– Shadow Replication Technique

_**BunshinDaibakuha**_ – Clone Great Explosion

_**Shuriken KageBunshin no Jutsu**_ – Shuriken Replication Technique

_**Sharingan**_ – Copy Wheel Eye

_**Katon: Gokakyuno Hou Jutsu**_ – Fire Release: Great Fireball Cannon

_**Suiton: Suijinheki**_ – Water Release: Water Encampment Wall

_**Densetsu no Sannin**_ – Legendary Three Ninja

_**Konohagakure(Konoha)**_ – Village Hidden in the Leaves (Leaf Village)

_**KiiroiSenkou**_ – Yellow Flash

_**Shunshin**_ – Body Flicker

_**Sennen Goroshi**_ – One Thousand Years of Death

**Original Jutsu:**

_**Fūton: SasayakuKaze**_ (Wind Release: Whispering Wind) - Original sensory jutsu created by Namikaze Naruto. As of the moment, this jutsu is still under construction. For now, it saturates the air around Naruto with chakra and forms a sensory dome that acts somewhat as a mental imaging, almost like a sixth sense. The space of awareness is proportionate to the amount of chakra put into the technique. Because it's not perfected, it's only keyed to search for chakra signatures within its dome of influence and not the environment as well, thus it cannot tell the user of obstacles blocking the path or of hidden traps.


End file.
